Elastic laminates and methods for assembling elastic laminates for absorbent articles

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to elastic laminates and methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Elastic laminates may include one or more reinforcement layers positioned between unstretched portions of elastic materials and substrates to which the elastic materials are bonded.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority under 35U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/674,575, filed onAug. 11, 2017, which claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/419,515, filed on Nov.9, 2016, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/406,025, filedon Oct. 10, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/374,010, filed on Aug. 12, 2016, the entire disclosures of which areall incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to methods for manufacturing absorbentarticles, and more particularly, to elastic laminates and methods forassembling elastic laminates for making absorbent article components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Along an assembly line, various types of articles, such as for example,diapers and other absorbent articles, may be assembled by addingcomponents to and/or otherwise modifying an advancing, continuous web ofmaterial. For example, in some processes, advancing webs of material arecombined with other advancing webs of material. In other examples,individual components created from advancing webs of material arecombined with advancing webs of material, which in turn, are thencombined with other advancing webs of material. In some cases,individual components created from advancing web or webs are combinedwith other individual components created from other advancing web orwebs. Webs of material and component parts used to manufacture diapersmay include: backsheets, topsheets, leg cuffs, waist bands, absorbentcore components, front and/or back ears, and fastening components. Oncethe desired component parts are assembled, the advancing web(s) andcomponent parts are subjected to a final knife cut to separate theweb(s) into discrete diapers or other absorbent articles.

Some diaper components, such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics,stretch side panels, and waist elastics, are constructed from elasticlaminates. Such elastic laminates may be assembled in various waysdepending on the particular diaper design. For example, some elasticlaminates may be constructed from one or more nonwoven substrates bondedto an elastic film. In some configurations, the elastic film may bestretched and then bonded with the nonwoven substrates to form anelastic laminate.

Some existing elastic laminate assembly operations may have certaindrawbacks. For example, manufacturing operations may be configured withmachines adapted to grip and stretch the films before bonding. With somegripping operations, portions of the film may remain unstretched in theassembled elastic laminate. Such unstretched portions of the film add nobenefit with respect to the desired elasticity of the assembled elasticlaminate. However, the unstretched portions of the film may be bondedwith one or more nonwoven layers to help anchor and secure the film tothe nonwoven substrates. In use, the elastic laminates may be stretchedby applying forces to the elastic laminates in the regions where theunstretched portions of the film are anchored to the nonwovens. As such,when assembling elastic laminates, it may be advantageous utilizenonwovens and/or films with relatively high basis weights and/orrelatively high calipers to ensure that the unstretched portions of thefilm and the nonwovens remain bonded together and do not separate fromeach other during use. However, nonwovens and/or films with relativelyhigh basis weights can be relatively expensive and may detract from theaesthetic appearance and/or tactile impression of the assembled elasticlaminate.

Consequently, it would be beneficial to provide methods and apparatusesfor assembling elastic laminates that are configured with regions havinga relatively high caliper where the unstretched portions of the film andnonwovens are bonded while at the same time providing the ability toconstruct the elastic laminate with films and/or nonwovens withrelatively low basis weights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a method for assembling elastic laminates comprises thesteps of: providing a first substrate and a second substrate, the firstsubstrate and the second substrate each comprising a first surface andan opposing second surface, a first longitudinal edge and a secondlongitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge to define awidth in a cross direction; providing a first elastic material and asecond elastic material, the first elastic material and the secondelastic material each comprising a first edge region and a second edgeregion separated from the first edge region in the cross direction by acentral region; stretching the central region of the first elasticmaterial in the cross direction; stretching the central region of thesecond elastic material in the cross direction; advancing the firstelastic material to position the stretched central region of the firstelastic material in contact with the second surface of the firstsubstrate; advancing the second elastic material to position thestretched central region of the second elastic material in contact withthe second surface of the first substrate, and wherein the second edgeregion of the second elastic material is separated from the first edgeregion of the first elastic material in a cross direction; advancing thesecond substrate in a machine direction to position the first surface ofthe second substrate in contact with the stretched central regions ofthe first and second elastic materials; providing a first reinforcementlayer between the first edge region of the first elastic material, thesecond edge region of the second elastic material, and either the secondsurface of first substrate or the first surface of the second substrate;forming an elastic laminate by ultrasonically bonding the firstreinforcement layer together with the first edge region of the firstelastic material, the second edge region of the second elastic material,the first substrate, and the second substrate; and cutting the elasticlaminate along the machine direction through the first reinforcementlayer, the first substrate, and the second substrate to form a firstelastic laminate and a second elastic laminate.

In another aspect, a method for assembling elastic laminates comprisesthe steps of: providing a first substrate and a second substrate, thefirst substrate and the second substrate each comprising a first surfaceand an opposing second surface, a first longitudinal edge and a secondlongitudinal edges separated from the first longitudinal edge to definea width in a cross direction; providing a first elastic material and asecond elastic material, the first elastic material and the secondelastic material each comprising a first edge region and a second edgeregion separated from the first edge region in the cross direction by acentral region; stretching the central region of the first elasticmaterial in the cross direction; stretching the central region of thesecond elastic material in the cross direction; advancing the firstelastic material to position the stretched central region of the firstelastic material in contact with the second surface of the firstsubstrate; advancing the second elastic material to position thestretched central region of the second elastic material in contact withthe second surface of the first substrate, and wherein the second edgeregion of the second elastic material is separated from the first edgeregion of the first elastic material in a cross direction; advancing thesecond substrate in a machine direction to position the first surface ofthe second substrate in contact with the stretched central regions ofthe first and second elastic materials; providing a first reinforcementlayer between the second edge region of the first elastic material andeither the second surface of the first substrate or the first surface ofthe second substrate; providing a second reinforcement layer between thefirst edge region of the second elastic material and either the secondsurface of the first substrate or the first surface of the secondsubstrate; forming an elastic laminate by ultrasonically bonding thefirst reinforcement layer together with the second edge region of thefirst elastic material, and ultrasonically bonding the secondreinforcement layer together with the first edge region of the secondelastic material, the first substrate, and the second substrate; andcutting the elastic laminate through the first and second substratealong the machine direction between the first elastic material and thesecond elastic material to form a first elastic laminate and a secondelastic laminate.

In yet another aspect, a method for assembling elastic laminatescomprises the steps of: providing a first substrate and a secondsubstrate, the first substrate and the second substrate each comprisinga first surface and an opposing second surface, a first longitudinaledge and a second longitudinal edges separated from the firstlongitudinal edge to define a width in a cross direction; wrapping thefirst surface of the first substrate onto an outer circumferentialsurface of an anvil roll; providing an elastic film, the elastic filmcomprising a first edge region and a second edge region separated fromthe first edge region in the cross direction by a central region;stretching the central region of the elastic film in the crossdirection; advancing the elastic film onto the anvil roll, wherein thestretched central region of the elastic film is positioned in contactwith the second surface of the first substrate; advancing a firstreinforcement layer onto the anvil roll so as to be positioned betweenthe first edge region of the elastic film and the second surface offirst substrate; advancing a second reinforcement layer onto the anvilroll so as to be positioned between the second edge region of theelastic film and the second surface of first substrate; advancing thesecond substrate in a machine direction to position the first surface ofthe second substrate in contact with the stretched central region of theelastic film; ultrasonically bonding the first reinforcement layertogether with the first edge region of the elastic film, the firstsubstrate, and the second substrate; ultrasonically bonding the secondreinforcement layer together with the second edge region of the elasticfilm, the first substrate, and the second substrate; and ultrasonicallybonding the stretched central region together with the first substrateand the second substrate.

In still another aspect, an elastic laminate comprises: a first edge anda second edge extending in a longitudinal direction and separated fromeach other in a lateral direction; a first substrate comprising a firstsurface and an opposing second surface; a second substrate comprising afirst surface and an opposing second surface; a film positioned betweenthe first substrate and the second substrate, the film comprising afirst edge region and a second edge region separated from the first edgeregion in the lateral direction by a stretchable central region, whereinthe first and second end regions are laterally inboard of the first andsecond edges; a first reinforcement layer positioned between the firstsubstrate and the second substrate; a second reinforcement layerpositioned between the first substrate and the second substrate; alateral stretch zone wherein the stretchable central region of the filmis in direct contact with and ultrasonically bonded with the secondsurface of the first substrate and the first surface of the secondsubstrate; a first reinforcement zone, wherein a first portion the firstreinforcement layer extends laterally inward from the first edge to thefirst edge region of the film, and wherein the first portion is indirect contact with and ultrasonically bonded with the second surface ofthe first substrate and the first surface of the second substrate, andwherein a second portion of the first reinforcement layer extendslaterally inward from the first portion to be positioned between andultrasonically bonded with the first edge region of the film and thesecond surface of the first substrate; and a second reinforcement zone,wherein a first portion the second reinforcement layer extends laterallyinward from the second edge to the second edge region of the film, andwherein the first portion is in direct contact with and ultrasonicallybonded with the second surface of the first substrate and the firstsurface of the second substrate, and wherein a second portion of thesecond reinforcement layer extends laterally inward from the firstportion to be positioned between and ultrasonically bonded with thefirst edge region of the film and the second surface of the firstsubstrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of an apparatus for assembling anelastic laminate.

FIG. 1B is a top side view of the apparatus from FIG. 1A taken alongline 1B-1B.

FIG. 1C is a left side view of the apparatus from FIG. 1B taken alongline 1C-1C.

FIG. 1D is a right side view of the apparatus from FIG. 1B taken alongline 1D-1D.

FIG. 1E is a detailed view of a first spreader mechanism from FIG. 1Ctaken along line 1E-1E.

FIG. 1F is a detailed view of a second spreader mechanism from FIG. 1Dtaken along line 1F-1F.

FIG. 1G is a detailed view of radially protruding nubs on an outer rimof a disk.

FIG. 1HA is a detailed view of an anvil from FIG. 1B taken along line1HA-1HA.

FIG. 1HB is a detailed view of the anvil from FIG. 1HA taken along line1HB-1HB.

FIG. 2A is a schematic side view of an apparatus operating to assembleelastic laminates.

FIG. 2B is a left side view of the apparatus from FIG. 2A taken alongline 2B-2B.

FIG. 2C is a top side view of the first substrate advancing through afolding apparatus from FIG. 2A taken along line 2C-2C.

FIG. 2D is a detailed view of a first elastic material advancing on afirst spreader mechanism from FIG. 2B taken along line 2D-2D.

FIG. 2E is a right side view of the apparatus from FIG. 2A taken alongline 2E-2E.

FIG. 2F is a detailed view of a second elastic material advancing on asecond spreader mechanism from FIG. 2E taken along line 2F-2F.

FIG. 3 is a top side view of an elastic laminate and apparatus from FIG.2A taken along line 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the elastic laminate from FIG. 2Ataken along line 4-4.

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional view of an alternative configuration of anelastic laminate.

FIG. 4B is a cross sectional view of a second alternative configurationof an elastic laminate.

FIG. 4C is a cross sectional view of a third alternative configurationof an elastic laminate.

FIG. 5 is an exploded cross sectional view of the elastic laminate fromFIG. 4.

FIG. 5A is an exploded cross sectional view of the elastic laminate fromFIG. 4A.

FIG. 5B is an exploded cross sectional view of the elastic laminate fromFIG. 4B.

FIG. 5B1 is an exploded cross sectional view of the elastic laminatefrom FIG. 5B with a reinforcement layer formed from a Z-fold in a firstsubstrate.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a first elastic laminate and asecond elastic laminate from FIG. 2A taken along line 6-6.

FIG. 7A is a partially cut away plan view of an absorbent article in theform of a taped diaper that may include one or more elastic laminatesmanipulated during manufacture according to the apparatuses and methodsdisclosed herein with the portion of the diaper that faces away from awearer oriented towards the viewer.

FIG. 7B is a plan view of the absorbent article of FIG. 7A that mayinclude one or more elastic laminates manipulated during manufactureaccording to the apparatuses and methods disclosed herein with theportion of the diaper that faces toward a wearer oriented towards theviewer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following term explanations may be useful in understanding thepresent disclosure:

“Absorbent article” is used herein to refer to consumer products whoseprimary function is to absorb and retain soils and wastes. “Diaper” isused herein to refer to an absorbent article generally worn by infantsand incontinent persons about the lower torso. The term “disposable” isused herein to describe absorbent articles which generally are notintended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused as an absorbentarticle (e.g., they are intended to be discarded after a single use andmay also be configured to be recycled, composted or otherwise disposedof in an environmentally compatible manner).

An “elastic,” “elastomer” or “elastomeric” refers to materialsexhibiting elastic properties, which include any material that uponapplication of a force to its relaxed, initial length can stretch orelongate to an elongated length more than 10% greater than its initiallength and will substantially recover back to about its initial lengthupon release of the applied force.

As used herein, the term “joined” encompasses configurations whereby anelement is directly secured to another element by affixing the elementdirectly to the other element, and configurations whereby an element isindirectly secured to another element by affixing the element tointermediate member(s) which in turn are affixed to the other element.

The term “substrate” is used herein to describe a material which isprimarily two-dimensional (i.e. in an XY plane) and whose thickness (ina Z direction) is relatively small (i.e. 1/10 or less) in comparison toits length (in an X direction) and width (in a Y direction).Non-limiting examples of substrates include a web, layer or layers orfibrous materials, nonwovens, films and foils such as polymeric films ormetallic foils. These materials may be used alone or may comprise two ormore layers laminated together. As such, a web is a substrate.

The term “nonwoven” refers herein to a material made from continuous(long) filaments (fibers) and/or discontinuous (short) filaments(fibers) by processes such as spunbonding, meltblowing, carding, and thelike. Nonwovens do not have a woven or knitted filament pattern.

The term “machine direction” (MD) is used herein to refer to thedirection of material flow through a process. In addition, relativeplacement and movement of material can be described as flowing in themachine direction through a process from upstream in the process todownstream in the process.

The term “cross direction” (CD) is used herein to refer to a directionthat is generally perpendicular to the machine direction.

The present disclosure relates to methods for manufacturing absorbentarticles, and more particularly, elastic laminates and methods forassembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent articlecomponents. Particular aspects of the present disclosure involve methodsfor assembling an elastic laminate including a first substrate and asecond substrate with a first elastic material and a second elasticmaterial bonded between the first substrate and the second substrate. Inaddition, the elastic laminate may include one or more reinforcementlayers positioned between unstretched portions of the elastic materialsand the substrates. It is to be appreciated that in some configurations,the first and/or second elastic materials may be elastic films and/orelastic laminates, and in some configurations, the first and/or secondsubstrates and/or reinforcement layers may be nonwovens. The first andsecond elastic materials are separated from each other in a crossdirection and each include a first edge region and a second edge regionseparated from the first edge region in the cross direction by a centralregion, wherein the central regions are stretched in the crossdirection. During assembly, one or more reinforcement layers may bepositioned between the first and/or second edge regions of the firstelastic material and either the first substrate or the second substrate.In addition, one or more reinforcement layers may be positioned betweenthe first and/or second edge regions of the second elastic material andeither the first substrate or the second substrate. An elastic laminatemay then be formed by ultrasonically bonding the reinforcement layerstogether with the first edge regions the first and/or second elasticmaterials, the first substrate, and the second substrate. In turn, theelastic laminate may be cut along the machine direction through one ormore reinforcement layers, the first substrate, and the second substrateto form a first elastic laminate and a second elastic laminate.

As discussed in more detail below, the first edge region and/or thesecond edge region of the first and/or second elastic materials may beunstretched when bonded with reinforcement layers and the first and/orsecond substrates. The reinforcement layers define areas of the elasticlaminate with additional layers of material and having a relatively highcaliper where the unstretched portions of the film and nonwovens arebonded. As such, the bonds located in areas where the additionalmaterial provided by the reinforcement layers are located may haverelatively higher strengths to help anchor the unstretched portions ofthe elastic materials. In turn, the elastic laminate may be constructedwith films and/or nonwovens with relatively low basis weights while thereinforcement layers may define localized regions of relatively highercalipers.

It is to be appreciated that various configurations and arrangements ofapparatuses may be used to assemble elastic laminates in accordance withthe methods herein. For example, the apparatuses disclosed in U.S.Patent Application No. 62/374,010, filed on Aug. 12, 2016, may beconfigured to assemble the elastic laminates herein. To help provideadditional context to the subsequent discussion of elastic laminates andassembly configurations, the following provides a description of anapparatus that may be configured to operate in accordance with themethods disclosed herein.

FIGS. 1A-1D show schematic side views of an apparatus 100 that may beconfigured to assemble the elastic laminates herein. As shown in FIGS.1A-1D, the apparatus includes an anvil 102 having a cylindrically-shapedouter circumferential surface 104 and adapted to rotate in a firstdirection Dir1 about a first axis of rotation 106. Although the firstdirection Dir1 is depicted in FIG. 1A as clockwise, it is to beappreciated that the anvil 100 may be configured to rotate such that thefirst direction Dir1 is counterclockwise. The anvil roll 102 may extendaxially for a length between a first end 108 and a second end 110. Asdiscussed in more detail below, substrates, reinforcement layers, andelastic materials may be combined on the rotating anvil 102 to form atleast one elastic laminate. It is to be appreciated that the substrates,the reinforcement layers, and the elastic materials herein may beconfigured in various ways. For example, the substrates and/orreinforcement materials may be configured as nonwovens, and the elasticmaterials may be configured as elastic films and/or elastic laminates.As shown in FIG. 1B, the anvil 102, and more particularly, the outercircumferential surface 104 may also be fluidly connected with a vacuumpressure source 105. As such, vacuum air pressure may be used to helphold the substrates, reinforcement layers, and elastic materials ontothe outer circumferential surface 104 of the anvil 102 during operation.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1A-1D, the apparatus 100 may alsoinclude a first spreader mechanism 112 and a second spread mechanism114. As discussed in more detail below, the first and second spreadermechanisms 112, 114 operate to stretch elastic materials during theelastic laminate assembly process, and the stretched elastic materialsare advanced from the spreader mechanisms 112, 114 onto substrates onthe rotating anvil 102. As shown in FIG. 1A, the first spreadermechanism 112 may be angularly displaced from the second spreadermechanism 114 with respect to the first axis of rotation 106. As shownin FIG. 1B, the first spreader mechanism 112 may also be axiallydisplaced from the second spreader mechanism 114 along the first axis ofrotation 106.

As shown in FIGS. 1A-1F, each spreader mechanism 112, 114 includes afirst disk 116 and a second disk 118, wherein the first disk 116 isdisplaced from the second disk 118 along the axis of rotation 106. Thefirst disk 116 is adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation 116 a andthe second disk 118 is adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation 118a, wherein the first and second disks 116, 118 rotate in a seconddirection Dir2 that is opposite the first direction Dir1. Although thesecond direction Dir2 is depicted in FIG. 1A as counterclockwise, it isto be appreciated that the disks 116, 118 may be configured to rotatesuch that the second direction Dir2 is clockwise. In addition, the firstdisk 116 includes an outer rim 116 b extending axially between an inneredge 116 c and an outer edge 116 d, and the second disk 118 includes anouter rim 118 b extending axially between an inner edge 118 c and anouter edge 118 d.

As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1E, and 1F, the first disk 116 and the seconddisk 118 are canted relative to each other such that the outer rims 116b, 118 b are separated from each other by a distance D that increasesfrom a minimum distance Dmin at a first location 120 to a maximumdistance Dmax at a second location 122. As discussed below, elasticmaterials, such as elastic films, are advanced in a machine direction MDonto the outer rims 116 b, 118 b during operation. Because the first andsecond disks 116, 118 are canted, rotation of the disks 116, 118 causesthe rims 116 b, 118 b to pull on edges regions of elastic materials andstretch the elastic materials in a cross direction CD before the elasticmaterials advance onto the anvil 102. As such, the disks 116, 118 mayalso be configured to help grip opposing edge regions of the elasticmaterial during operation. For example, with particular reference toFIGS. 1E and 1F, the first disk 116 and the second disk 118 may eachinclude a channel 124 extending radially inward from the rims 116 b, 118b. In turn, the channels 124 may be fluidly connected with a vacuumpressure source 129. As such, vacuum air pressure may be used to helphold the elastic materials onto the rims 116 b, 118 b during operation.The disks 116, 118 may also include support members 126 extending acrossthe channels 124 to the help prevent the elastic materials from beingdrawn into the channels 124 by the vacuum air pressure. As shown inFIGS. 1E, 1F, and 1G, the disks 116, 118 may also include nubs 128 thatprotrude radially outward from the rims 116 b, 118 b. As such, the nubs128 may also act to help prevent the edge regions of the elasticmaterials from sliding along the rims 116 b, 118 b while stretching theelastic materials. It is to be appreciated that additional nubs 128 maybe positioned inboard or outboard of the channels 124. In addition, nubs128 may also be positioned on the support members 126.

As mentioned above, stretched elastic materials, reinforcement layers,and substrates are combined on the anvil 102. The combined substrates,reinforcement layers, and elastic materials may then be ultrasonicallybonded together on the anvil 102 to form elastic laminates. As shown inFIGS. 1A, 1C, and 1D, the apparatus 100 may include one or moreultrasonic mechanisms 130 adjacent the anvil 102. It is to beappreciated that the ultrasonic mechanism 130 may include a horn 132 andmay be configured to impart ultrasonic energy to the combined substratesand elastic materials on the anvil 102. As shown in FIGS. 1HA and 1HB,the anvil roll 102 may include a plurality of pattern elements 134extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface 104 ofthe anvil 102. As such, the ultrasonic mechanism may apply energy to thehorn 132 to create resonance of the horn at frequencies and amplitudesso the horn 132 vibrates rapidly in a direction generally perpendicularto the substrates and elastic materials being advanced past the horn 132on the rotating anvil 102. Vibration of the horn 132 generates heat tomelt and bond the substrates, reinforcement layers, and elasticmaterials together in areas supported by the pattern elements 134 on theanvil 102. It is to be appreciated that aspects of the ultrasonicmechanisms may be configured in various ways, such as disclosed forexample in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,113,225; 3,562,041; 3,733,238; 6,036,796;6,508,641; and 6,645,330. In some configurations, the ultrasonicmechanism may be configured as a linear oscillating type sonotrode, suchas for example, available from Herrmann Ultrasonic, Inc. In someconfigurations, the sonotrode may include a plurality of sonotrodesnested together in the cross direction CD.

As previously mentioned, the apparatus 100 described above withreference to FIGS. 1A-1HB may operate to assemble elastic laminatesconfigured in various ways. For example, FIGS. 2A-3 show variousschematic views of the apparatus 100 operating to assemble an elasticlaminate 200 that is subsequently slit along the machine direction MDinto a first elastic laminate 202 and a second elastic laminate 204.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a first substrate 206 advances in a machinedirection MD onto the rotating anvil 102. More particularly, the firstsubstrate 206 includes a first surface 208 and an opposing secondsurface 210, and the first substrate 206 advances to wrap the firstsurface 208 onto the outer circumferential surface 104 of the rotatinganvil 102. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a first reinforcement layer 212is advanced onto the second surface 210 of the first substrate 206. Itis to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212 may beformed in various ways. For example, the first reinforcement layer 212is depicted as a discrete strip of material advanced onto the firstsubstrate 206. With continued reference to FIG. 2B, a secondreinforcement layer 214 and a third reinforcement layer 216 may alsoadvance with the first substrate 206 onto the anvil roll 102. It is alsoto be appreciated that the first substrate 206 and/or the reinforcementlayers 212, 214, 216 may also advance around guide rollers 144 such asshown in FIGS. 2A and 2B before advancing onto the anvil roll 102.

It is also to be appreciated that the second and third reinforcementlayers 214, 216 may be formed in various ways. For example, as shown inFIG. 2C, the first substrate 206 may advance through a folding apparatus142 that operates to fold portions of the first substrate 206 to createthe second and third reinforcement layers 214, 216. In someconfigurations such as shown in FIG. 2C, the folding apparatus 142 mayoperate to fold a first longitudinal edge 218 and/or a secondlongitudinal edge 220 of the first substrate 206 laterally inward in thecross direction CD. More particularly, the folding apparatus 142 mayfold the first substrate 206 to position a first portion 206 a and asecond portion 206 b of the second surface 210 of the first substrate206 in a facing relationship with the second surface 210 of the firstsubstrate 206. As such, the folding apparatus 142 creates a first foldline 222 and a second fold line 224 in the first substrate 206 thatextend in the machine direction MD. In turn, the second reinforcementlayer 214 may be defined by the first portion 206 a of the firstsubstrate 206 extending between the first fold line 222 and the firstlongitudinal edge 218, and the third reinforcement layer 216 may bedefined by the second portion 206 b of the first substrate 206 extendingbetween the second fold line 224 and the second longitudinal edge 220.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, during the assemblyprocess, a first elastic material 226 is stretched in the crossdirection CD and is positioned into contact with the second surface 210of the first substrate 204, the first reinforcement layer 212, and thesecond reinforcement layer 214. With particular reference to FIG. 2D,the first elastic material 226 includes a first edge region 226 a and asecond edge region 226 b separated from the first edge region 226 a inthe cross direction CD by a central region 226 c. As shown in FIG. 2A,the first elastic material 226 advances in a machine direction MD ontothe first spreader mechanism 112 at or downstream of the first location120. In particular, the first edge region 226 a of the first elasticmaterial 226 advances onto the outer rim 116 b of the first disk 116 ofthe first spreader mechanism 112, and the second edge region 226 badvances onto the outer rim 118 b of the second disk 118. As previouslydiscussed with reference to FIG. 1E, the outer rims 116 b, 118 b of thefirst and second disks 116, 118 of the first spreader mechanism 112 mayinclude channels 124 fluidly connected to a vacuum pressure source 129and may include radially protruding nubs 128. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2D,the first edge region 226 a of the first elastic material 226 may beheld in position on the outer rim 116 b with vacuum air pressure in thechannels 124 and with the radially protruding nubs 128. Similarly, thesecond edge region 226 b of the first elastic material 226 may be heldin position on the outer rim 118 b with vacuum air pressure in thechannels 124 and with the radially protruding nubs 128.

With continued reference to FIG. 2D, as the first disk 116 and thesecond disk 118 of the first spreader mechanism 112 rotate, the centralregion 226 c of the first elastic material 226 is stretched in the crossdirection CD. Because the first and second edge regions 226 a, 226 b areheld in position on the outer rims 116 b, 118 b, some portions of thefirst and second edge regions 226 a, 226 b may remain unstretched in thecross direction CD as the first and second disks 116, 118 rotate.Referring now to the FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first elastic material 226advances from the first spreader mechanism 112 and is transferred ontothe second surface 210 of the first substrate 206 on the anvil 102 at afirst application zone 136. In particular, the stretched central region226 c of the first elastic material 226 is positioned in direct contactwith the second surface 210 of the first substrate 206. In addition, thefirst reinforcement layer 212 is positioned between and in directcontact with the second surface 210 of the first substrate 206 and thefirst edge region 226 a of the first elastic material 226. The secondreinforcement layer 214 is also positioned between and in direct contactwith the second surface 210 of the first substrate 206 and the secondedge region 226 b of the first elastic material 226, wherein the firstlongitudinal edge 218 of the first substrate 206 is positioned betweenthe second edge region 226 b of the first elastic material 226 andsecond surface 210 of the first substrate 206.

It is to be appreciated that during the transfer from the first spreadermechanism 112 to the anvil 102, the first elastic material 226 may beremoved from the first spreader mechanism 112 at or upstream of thesecond location 122. As previously mentioned, the outer circumferentialsurface 104 of the anvil 102 may be fluidly connected with the vacuumsource 105, and as such, vacuum air pressure may be applied to the firstsubstrate 206 on the anvil 102. In addition, when the first substrate206 is configured as a porous substrate, such as a nonwoven, vacuum airpressure may also be applied to the first elastic material 226 on theanvil 102, and as such, may help maintain the stretched condition of thecentral region 226 c of the first elastic material 216 while on theanvil 102.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2F, during the assembly process, a secondelastic material 228 is stretched in the cross direction CD and ispositioned into contact with the second surface 210 of the firstsubstrate 206. With particular reference to FIG. 2F, the second elasticmaterial 228 includes a first edge region 228 a and a second edge region228 b separated from the first edge region 228 a in the cross directionCD by a central region 228 c. As shown in FIG. 2A, the second elasticmaterial 228 advances in a machine direction MD onto the second spreadermechanism 114 at or downstream of the first location 120. In particular,the first edge region 228 a of the second elastic material 228 advancesonto the outer rim 116 b of the first disk 116 of the second spreadermechanism 114, and the second edge region 228 b advances onto the outerrim 118 b of the second disk 118. As previously discussed with referenceto FIG. 1F, the outer rims 116 b, 118 b of the first and second disks116, 118 of the second spreader mechanism 114 may include channels 124fluidly connected to a vacuum pressure source 129 and may includeradially protruding nubs 128. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2F, the first edgeregion 228 a of the second elastic material 228 may be held in positionon the outer rim 116 b with vacuum air pressure in the channels 124 andwith the radially protruding nubs 128. Similarly, the second edge region228 b of the second elastic material 228 may be held in position on theouter rim 118 b with vacuum air pressure in the channels 124 and withthe radially protruding nubs 128.

With continued reference to FIG. 2F, as the first disk 116 and thesecond disk 118 of the second spreader mechanism 114 rotate, the centralregion 228 c of the second elastic material 228 is stretched in thecross direction CD. Because the first and second edge regions 228 a, 228b are held in position on the outer rims 116 b, 118 b, some portions ofthe first and second edge regions 228 a, 228 b may remain unstretched inthe cross direction CD as the first and second disks 116, 118 rotate.Referring now to the FIGS. 2A and 2E, the second elastic material 228advances from the second spreader mechanism 114 and is transferred ontothe second surface 210 of the first substrate 206 on the anvil 102 at asecond application zone 138. In particular, the stretched central region228 c of the second elastic material 228 is positioned in direct contactwith the second surface 210 of the first substrate 206. In addition, thefirst reinforcement layer 212 is positioned between and in directcontact with the second surface 210 of the first substrate 206 and thesecond edge region 228 b of the second elastic material 228. The thirdreinforcement layer 216 is positioned between and in direct contact withthe second surface 210 of the first substrate 206 and the first edgeregion 228 a of the second elastic material 228, wherein the secondlongitudinal edge 220 of the first substrate 206 is positioned betweenthe first edge region 228 a of the second elastic material 228 andsecond surface 210 of the first substrate 206.

As previously mentioned, the first spreader mechanism 112 is angularlydisplaced from the second spreader mechanism 114 with respect to thefirst axis of rotation 106. As such, the second application zone 138 ispositioned downstream of the first application zone 136. It is to beappreciated that during the transfer from the second spreader mechanism114 to the anvil 102, the second elastic material 218 may be removedfrom the second spreader mechanism 114 at or upstream of the secondlocation 122. As previously mentioned, the outer circumferential surface104 of the anvil 102 may be fluidly connected with the vacuum source105, and as such, vacuum air pressure may be applied to the firstsubstrate 206 on the anvil 102. In addition, when the first substrate206 is configured as a porous substrate, such as a nonwoven, vacuum airpressure may also be applied to the second elastic material 228 on theanvil 102, and as such, may help maintain the stretched condition of thecentral region 228 c of the second elastic material 228 while on theanvil 102. Also, as shown in FIG. 2E, the second elastic material 228may be axially separated or spaced from the first elastic material 226in the cross direction CD such that a cross directional gap existsbetween the first elastic material 226 and the second elastic material228.

As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2E, an elastic laminate 200 may be formedby ultrasonically bonding the first substrate 206, the first elasticmaterial 226, the second elastic material 228, and the reinforcementlayers 212, 214, 216 together with a second substrate 230 on the anvil102. The second substrate 230 includes a first surface 232 and anopposing second surface 244 as well as a first longitudinal edge 236that is separated from a second longitudinal edge 238 in the crossdirection CD. The second substrate 230 advances to position the firstsurface 232 in contact with first elastic material 226, the secondelastic material 228, the reinforcement layers 212, 214, 216, and thesecond surface 210 of the first substrate 206. In particular, the firstedge region 226 a of the first elastic material 226 and the second edgeregion 228 b of the second elastic material 228 are positioned betweenthe first reinforcement layer 212 and the first surface 232 of thesecond substrate 230. In addition, a central portion of the firstreinforcement layer 212 between the first and second elastic materials226, 228 is positioned between and in direct contact with the secondsurface 210 of the first substrate 206 and the first surface 232 of thesecond substrate 230. The first surface 232 of the second substrate 230is also positioned in direct contact with the stretched central region226 c of the first elastic material 226 and the stretched central region228 c of the second elastic material 228. Further, the second edgeregion 226 b of the first elastic material 226 is positioned between andin direct contact with the second reinforcement layer 214 and the firstsurface 232 of the second substrate 230. And the first edge region 228 aof the second elastic material 228 is positioned between and in directcontact with the third reinforcement layer 216 and the first surface 232of the second substrate 230.

As the anvil 102 rotates, the first substrate 234, the first elasticmaterial 216, the second elastic material 218, the second substrate 230,and the reinforcement layers 212, 214, 216 are advanced between theouter circumferential surface 104 of the anvil 102 and the ultrasonichorn 132. In turn, the ultrasonic horn 132 bonds the first substrate206, the first elastic material 226, the second substrate 230, the firstreinforcement layer 212, and the second reinforcement layer 214 togetherand also bonds the first substrate 206, the second elastic material 228,the second substrate 230, the first reinforcement layer 212, and thethird reinforcement layer 216 together to form the elastic laminate 200,such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. During the ultrasonic bonding process,it is to be appreciated that bonds imparted into the elastic laminate200 from the ultrasonic horn 132 may correspond with patterns and/orshapes defined by the plurality of pattern elements 134 extendingradially outward from the outer circumferential surface 104 of the anvil102. It is to be appreciated that the elastic laminate 200 may includevarious portions of components bonded together in various ways and withdiffering or identical bond patterns. For example, the unstretchedportion of the first edge region 226 a of the first elastic material 226may be bonded together with the first substrate 206, the firstreinforcement layer 212, and/or the second substrate 230. And similarly,the unstretched portion of the second edge region 228 b of the secondelastic material 228 may be bonded together with the first substrate206, the first reinforcement layer 212, and/or the second substrate 230.The unstretched portion of the second edge region 226 b of the firstelastic material 226 may be bonded together with the first substrate206, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the second substrate230. And similarly, the unstretched portion of the first edge region 228a of the second elastic material 228 may be bonded together with thefirst substrate 206, the third reinforcement layer 216, and/or thesecond substrate 230. In addition, the stretched central region 226 c ofthe first elastic material 226 may be bonded together with the firstand/or second substrates 206, 230. Further, the stretched central region228 c of the second elastic material 228 may be bonded together with thefirst and/or second substrates 206, 230. Further the first substrate 206may be bonded directly to the second substrate 230 in areas of theelastic laminate 200. It is to be appreciated that the apparatus 100 maybe adapted to create various types of bond configurations, such asdisclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,595.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 6, the elastic laminate 200 may then advancefrom the anvil 102 to a cutter 140. In turn, the cutter 140 separatesthe elastic laminate 200 into the first elastic laminate 202 and thesecond elastic laminate 204. It is to be appreciated that the cutter 140may be configured in various ways. For example, in some embodiments thecutter 140 may be a slitter or a die cutter that separates the elasticlaminate 200 into the first elastic laminate 202 and the second elasticlaminate 204. The cutter 140 may cut through the first substrate 206,the first reinforcement layer 212, and the second substrate 230 witheither a straight line cut and/or a curved line cut extending in machinedirection MD. The cutter 140 may also be configured as a perforator thatperforates the elastic laminate 200 with a line of weakness and whereinthe elastic laminate 200 is separated along the line of weakness in alater step. It is also to be appreciated that the cutter 140 may beconfigured to cut elastic laminate 200 into the first and second elasticlaminates 202, 204 while the elastic laminate 200 is positioned on theanvil 104.

In some configurations, the cutter 140 may cut the elastic laminate 232,such as shown in FIG. 3 along a line extending in the machine directionMD through a central region or location 200 c of the elastic laminate200. As such, the elastic laminate 232 may be separated into the firstelastic laminate 202 and the second elastic laminate 204, such as shownin FIG. 6. After slitting the elastic laminate 200, the first elasticlaminate 202 and the second elastic laminate 204 may be allowed to relaxor contract in the cross direction CD, wherein the central region 226 cof the first elastic material 226 is contracted in the cross directionCD and wherein the central region 228 c of the second elastic material228 is contracted in the cross direction CD. In some configurations, theelastic laminate 200 may be allowed to relax or contract in the crossdirection CD before being separated by the cutter 140 into the firstelastic laminate 202 and the second elastic laminate 204.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the central region or location 200 c of theelastic laminate 200 may be defined by an area between the first elasticmaterial 226 and the second elastic material 228 where first substrate206, the first reinforcement layer 212, and the second substrate 230 arebonded directly to each other. As such, slitting the elastic laminate200 with the cutter 140 along the central region 200 c may eliminate theneed to also cut through the first elastic material 226 and/or thesecond elastic material 228 when creating the first and second elasticlaminates 202, 204. As such, the slit edges of the first and secondelastic laminates 202, 204 may not have exposed elastic material 226,228 and thus, may be relatively more aesthetically pleasing.

It is to be appreciated that the elastic laminates 200 herein can beconfigured various different ways with different configurations of thefirst reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, andthe third reinforcement layer 216. For example, although the secondreinforcement layer 214 and the third reinforcement layer 216 may beformed by only folding the first substrate 206 such as described abovewith reference to FIG. 2C, it is to be appreciated that portions of thesecond substrate 230 adjacent the first and second edges 236, 238 mayalso be folded laterally inward in the cross direction CD toward eachother in addition to or alternatively to folding the first substrate206. For example, in some configurations, the second reinforcement layer214 may be formed by folding a portion of the first substrate 206 and/orthe second substrate 230, and the third reinforcement layer 216 may beformed by folding a portion of the first substrate 206 and/or the secondsubstrate 230. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A, the secondreinforcement layer 214 may be formed by folding a portion of the firstsubstrate 206 along the first longitudinal edge 218, and the thirdreinforcement layer 216 may be formed by folding a portion of the secondsubstrate 230 along the second longitudinal edge 238.

It is also to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, thesecond reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216may be formed by discrete strips of material in addition to oralternative to folding portions of the first substrate 206 and/or secondsubstrate 230. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5B, the firstreinforcement layer 212 may be defined by a first discrete strip ofmaterial 212 a, the second reinforcement layer 214 may be defined by asecond discrete strip of material 214 a, and the third reinforcementlayer 216 may be defined by a third discrete strip of material 216 a. Itis to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212 and/or thesecond reinforcement layer 214 may be positioned between the firstelastic material 226 and the first substrate 206 or the second substrate230; and the first reinforcement layer 212 and/or the thirdreinforcement layer 216 may be positioned between the second elasticmaterial 228 and the first substrate 206 or the second substrate 230. Itis also to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, thesecond reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216may define varying cross directional widths and may be located invarious different positions along the cross direction CD within theelastic laminate 200. For example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the secondreinforcement layer 214 may not extend in the cross direction entirelyto the first edges 218, 236 of the first and second substrates 206, 230,and the third reinforcement layer 216 may not extend in the crossdirection entirely to the second edges 220, 238 of the first and secondsubstrates 206, 230. In addition, the first reinforcement layer 212 maybe formed by folding a portion of the first substrate 206 and/or thesecond substrate 230 and/or in combination with a discrete strip ofmaterial. For example, a shown in FIG. 5B1 the first reinforcement layer212 may be formed by creating a Z-fold 240 in the first substrate 206.

It is also to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, thesecond reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216may be formed from material that is the same or different than thematerial of the first substrate 206 and/or second substrate 230. In someconfigurations, the first reinforcement layer 212, the secondreinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may beformed from strips of material cut from the first substrate 206 and/orsecond substrate 230. It is also to be appreciated that the elasticlaminates 200 formed herein may not include the first reinforcementlayer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, or the thirdreinforcement layer 216. For example, the elastic laminate 200 mayinclude only the second and third reinforcement layers 214, 216 and maynot include the first reinforcement layer 212. In another example, theelastic laminate 200 may include only the first reinforcement layer 212and may not include the second and/or third reinforcement layers 214,216.

It is to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, thesecond reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216may be formed from various types of materials. For example, thereinforcement layer may be a polymeric film layer that is mono-layer ormulti-layer. It is to be appreciated that the polymeric material can becrystalline, semi-crystalline, or amorphous. In some configurations, thereinforcement layers may be made with polymers that are compatible withpolymers of the first and/or second substrate. In some configurations,polymers may be homopolymers, co-polymers, or block co-polymers. Forexample, polyolefins may be used. In some configurations, polypropylenehomopolymers may be compatible with polypropylene nonwoven substratesused commonly. Similarly, if the first and/or second substrate is madeof polyethylene, then a reinforcement layer may be made withpolyethylene. In some configurations, multi-layer film made withpolypropylene core and polyethylene skins will bond strongly withpolyethylene nonwovens. Polypropylene co-polymers and polyethyleneco-polymers may also be suitable polymers for the reinforcement layer.Other polymers that can be used to make reinforcement layers are:styrenic polymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyamids, polylacticacid, polyesters, or blends thereof.

It is to be appreciated that aspects of the methods and/or apparatus 100herein may be configured to assemble elastic laminates from varioustypes of material and/or components. For example, it is to beappreciated that the first substrate 206, the second substrate 230, thefirst reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214,and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be configured as the sameor different types of materials. For example, the substrates 206, 230and/or the reinforcement layers 212, 214, 216 may be configured assingle layer or multi-layer nonwovens. In some examples wherein theelastic laminates 202, 204 may be used to manufacture diaper components,the substrate 206 may define garment facing surfaces of the elasticlaminates 202, 204 in diaper components, whereas the substrate 230 maydefine body facing surfaces of the elastic laminates 202, 204 in diapercomponents. As such, the substrate 206 may be configured as a relativelyhigh cost, premium material for aesthetic purposes, such as soft feeland appearance. In contrast, the substrate 230 may be configured as acost optimized nonwoven, a premium nonwoven marketed as soft against awearer's skin, or a high coefficient of friction nonwoven for improvedfit. In some examples, the substrates may be configured as a relativelylow basis weight nonwoven intended define a wearer facing surface, whichmay help to reduce the changes of pressure marks on the baby's skin fromcorrugations in the elastic laminates. A relatively low basis weightnonwoven may also have a relatively low bending stiffness, and thus anycorrugations against the wearer's skin collapse at relatively lowerforces.

As previously mentioned the first and second elastic materials 226, 228may be configured in various ways and from various materials. Forexample, the elastic materials may be formed by any suitable method inthe art, for example, by extruding molten thermoplastic and/orelastomeric polymers or polymer blends through a slit die andsubsequently cooling the extruded sheet. Other non-limiting examples formaking film forms include casting, blowing, solution casting,calendaring, and formation from aqueous or, non-aqueous castdispersions. The elastomer composition of the present invention may bemade into a film having a basis weight of from about 5 to about 150g/m². The elastic material can also be an apertured film made ofelastomeric material to provide breathability. In some configurations,the first and second elastic materials include a nonwoven web ofsynthetic fibers. The web can be made of fibers from elastomers or canbe mixture of elastomeric fibers with plastic fibers. The first andsecond elastic materials may also be configured as laminates includingelastic material connected with and/or interposed between an outer layerand an inner layer. The elastic material may include one or more elasticelements such as strands, ribbons, or panels. Suitable elastomericcompositions for making elastic materials comprise thermoplasticelastomers selected from the group consisting of Styrenic blockcopolymers, poly-esters, polyurethanes, polyether amides, polyolefinelastomers, and combinations thereof.

It is to be appreciated that aspects of the apparatus 100 herein may beconfigured in various ways and may operate to assemble elastic laminates200, 202 from various types of material and/or components. For example,it is to be appreciated that the in some configurations, the elasticlaminate assembly operations may be performed separate to a finalassembly process, such as for example, assembling the elastic laminatesoffline wherein the elastic laminates may be stored until needed forproduction. For example, elastic laminate assembly operations may beaccomplished on discrete assembly lines, separately from convertinglines that may be dedicated to manufacturing disposable absorbentarticles. After assemblage on the discrete lines, the elastic laminatesmay be delivered to the absorbent article converting lines, such as in aform of rolls of continuous elastic laminates. It is to be appreciatedthat such rolls of continuous elastic laminates may be planetary woundor traversely wound. It is also to be appreciated that the elasticlaminate assembly process may be done online during the article assemblyprocess.

As mentioned above, apparatuses and methods of the present disclosuremay be utilized to assemble various forms of elastic laminates used inthe manufacture of absorbent articles. Such elastic laminates may beutilized in absorbent article components such as, for example:backsheets, topsheets, absorbent cores, front and/or back ears, fastenercomponents, and various types of elastic webs and components such as legelastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, and waist elastics. For thepurposes of a specific illustration, FIGS. 7A and 7B show an example ofa disposable absorbent article 250 in the form of a diaper 252 that maybe constructed from such elastic laminates manipulated duringmanufacture according to the apparatuses and methods disclosed herein.In particular, FIG. 7A is a partially cut away plan view of an absorbentarticle in the form of a taped diaper that may include one or moreelastic laminates assembled during manufacture according to theapparatuses and methods disclosed herein with the portion of the diaperthat faces away from a wearer oriented towards the viewer. FIG. 7B is aplan view of the absorbent article of FIG. 7A that may include one ormore elastic laminates assembled during manufacture according to theapparatuses and methods disclosed herein with the portion of the diaperthat faces toward a wearer oriented towards the viewer.

As shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, the diaper 252 includes a chassis 254 having afirst ear 256, a second ear 258, a third ear 260, and a fourth ear 262.To provide a frame of reference for the present discussion, the chassisis shown with a longitudinal axis 264 and a lateral axis 266. Thechassis 254 is shown as having a first waist region 268, a second waistregion 270, and a crotch region 272 disposed intermediate the first andsecond waist regions. The periphery of the diaper is defined by a pairof longitudinally extending side edges 274, 276; a first outer edge 278extending laterally adjacent the first waist region 268; and a secondouter edge 280 extending laterally adjacent the second waist region 270.As shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, the chassis 254 includes an inner, body-facingsurface 282, and an outer, garment-facing surface 284. A portion of thechassis structure is cut-away in FIG. 7A to more clearly show theconstruction of and various features that may be included in the diaper.As shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, the chassis 254 of the diaper 252 may include atopsheet 288 defining the inner, body-facing surface 282, and abacksheet 290 defining the outer, garment-facing surface 284. Anabsorbent core 292 may be disposed between a portion of the topsheet 288and the backsheet 290. As discussed in more detail below, any one ormore of the regions may be stretchable and may include an elastomericmaterial or laminate as described herein. As such, the diaper 252 may beconfigured to adapt to a specific wearer's anatomy upon application andto maintain coordination with the wearer's anatomy during wear.

The absorbent article 250 may also include an elastic waist feature 299shown in FIG. 7B in the form of a waist band and may provide improvedfit and waste containment. The elastic waist feature 299 may beconfigured to elastically expand and contract to dynamically fit thewearer's waist. The elastic waist feature 299 can be incorporated intothe diaper and may extend at least longitudinally outwardly from theabsorbent core 292 and generally form at least a portion of the firstand/or second outer edges 278, 280 of the diaper 252. In addition, theelastic waist feature may extend laterally to include the ears. Whilethe elastic waist feature 299 or any constituent elements thereof maycomprise one or more separate elements affixed to the diaper, theelastic waist feature may be constructed as an extension of otherelements of the diaper, such as the backsheet 290, the topsheet 288, orboth the backsheet and the topsheet. In addition, the elastic waistfeature 299 may be disposed on the outer, garment-facing surface 284 ofthe chassis 254; the inner, body-facing surface 282; or between theinner and outer facing surfaces. The elastic waist feature 299 may beconstructed in a number of different configurations including thosedescribed in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2007/0142806 A1; 2007/0142798A1; and 2007/0287983 A1, all of which are hereby incorporated byreference herein.

As shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, the diaper 252 may include leg cuffs 296 thatmay provide improved containment of liquids and other body exudates. Inparticular, elastic gasketing leg cuffs can provide a sealing effectaround the wearer's thighs to prevent leakage. It is to be appreciatedthat when the diaper is worn, the leg cuffs may be placed in contactwith the wearer's thighs, and the extent of that contact and contactpressure may be determined in part by the orientation of diaper on thebody of the wearer. The leg cuffs 296 may be disposed in various ways onthe diaper 252.

The diaper 252 may be provided in the form of a pant-type diaper or mayalternatively be provided with a re-closable fastening system, which mayinclude fastener elements in various locations to help secure the diaperin position on the wearer. For example, fastener elements 298 may belocated on the ears and may be adapted to releasably connect with one ormore corresponding fastening elements located in the first or secondwaist regions. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the diaper 252 mayinclude a connection zone 282, sometimes referred to as a landing zone,in the first waist region 268. It is to be appreciated that varioustypes of fastening elements may be used with the diaper.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/374,010, filed on Aug. 12, 2016; 62/406,025, filed on Oct. 10, 2016;and 62/419,515, filed on Nov. 9, 2016, the entireties of which are allincorporated by reference herein.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or relatedpatent or application and any patent application or patent to which thisapplication claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded orotherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission thatit is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimedherein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other referenceor references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention.Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in thisdocument conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in adocument incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assignedto that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A taped absorbent article comprising: a topsheet;a backsheet; an absorbent core positioned at least partiallyintermediate the topsheet and the backsheet; a front waist region; aback waist region; and a discrete ear laminate joined to the front waistregion or the back waist region and extending outwardly therefrom;wherein the discrete ear laminate comprises: a first nonwoven substrate;a second nonwoven substrate; and an elastic material positioned at leastpartially intermediate the first nonwoven substrate and the secondnonwoven substrate; wherein the first nonwoven substrate partiallyoverlaps itself to create a folded over portion; wherein the folded overportion overlaps a first portion of the elastic material; and whereinthe elastic material is free of overlap from itself.
 2. The tapedabsorbent article of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is generallyplanar and free of folds.
 3. The taped absorbent article of claim 1,comprising a fastener comprising a fastener element, wherein a portionof the fastener overlaps a portion of the folded over portion.
 4. Thetaped absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a reinforcement layerintermediate the first nonwoven substrate and the second nonwovensubstrate.
 5. The taped absorbent article of claim 4, wherein thereinforcement layer overlaps a second portion of the elastic material.6. The taped absorbent article of claim 4, wherein the reinforcementlayer is positioned proximate to a first end of the discrete earlaminate, and wherein the folded over portion is positioned proximate toa second end of the discrete ear laminate.
 7. The taped absorbentarticle of claim 1, wherein the discrete ear laminate comprises aplurality of ultrasonic bonds.
 8. The taped absorbent article of claim1, wherein the discrete ear laminate is joined to the back waist region,and wherein the first nonwoven substrate is the same material as thesecond nonwoven substrate.
 9. A taped absorbent article comprising: atopsheet; a backsheet; an absorbent core positioned at least partiallyintermediate the topsheet and the backsheet; a front waist region; aback waist region; and a discrete ear laminate joined to the front waistregion or the back waist region and extending outwardly therefrom;wherein the discrete ear laminate comprises: a first nonwoven substrate;a second nonwoven substrate; and an elastic material positioned at leastpartially intermediate the first nonwoven substrate and the secondnonwoven substrate; wherein the first nonwoven substrate comprises onelayer in a first portion and two layers in second portion; and whereinthe elastic material is free of overlap from itself.
 10. The tapedabsorbent article of claim 9, wherein the elastic material is generallyplanar and free of folds.
 11. The taped absorbent article of claim 9,wherein the second portion of the first nonwoven substrate overlaps aportion of the elastic material.
 12. The taped absorbent article ofclaim 9, comprising a fastener comprising a fastener element, wherein aportion of the fastener overlaps a portion of the second portion. 13.The taped absorbent article of claim 9, comprising a reinforcement layerintermediate the first nonwoven substrate and the second nonwovensubstrate.
 14. The taped absorbent article of claim 13, wherein thereinforcement layer overlaps a portion of the elastic material.
 15. Thetaped absorbent article of claim 13, wherein the reinforcement layer ispositioned proximate to a first end of the discrete ear laminate, andwherein the folded over portion is positioned proximate to a second endof the discrete ear laminate.
 16. The taped absorbent article of claim9, wherein the discrete ear laminate comprises a plurality of ultrasonicbonds formed through the first nonwoven substrate, the second nonwovensubstrate, and the elastic material.
 17. A taped absorbent articlecomprising: a topsheet; a backsheet; an absorbent core positioned atleast partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet; a frontwaist region; a back waist region; a discrete ear laminate joined to thefront waist region or the back waist region and extending outwardlytherefrom; wherein the discrete ear laminate comprises: a first nonwovensubstrate; a second nonwoven substrate; an elastic material positionedat least partially intermediate the first nonwoven substrate and thesecond nonwoven substrate; a reinforcement layer positioned at leastpartially intermediate the first nonwoven substrate and the secondnonwoven substrate; and a plurality of ultrasonic bonds formed throughthe first nonwoven substrate, the second nonwoven substrate, and theelastic material; wherein the elastic material is free of overlap fromitself.
 18. The taped absorbent article of claim 17, comprising afastener joined to the discrete ear laminate, wherein the fasteneroverlaps the reinforcement layer.
 19. The taped absorbent article ofclaim 18, wherein the reinforcement layer overlaps a portion of theelastic material.
 20. The taped absorbent article of claim 17, whereinthe first nonwoven substrate comprises one layer in a first portion andtwo layers in a second portion, and wherein the discrete ear laminatecomprises a plurality of ultrasonic bonds.